Conflicting Feelings
by Neo Dragon X
Summary: When Yellow Diamond gets tired of Peridot's failures, she sends one of Homeworld's most feared bounty hunters, the fearsome Topaz, to Earth to assassinate the traitor Lapis Lazuli and retrieve both Commander Jasper as well as Peridot. Topaz accepts the mission, but when he arrives on Earth to find Malachite unfused, he begins to develop feelings for his target. Lapis x OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Bounty Hunter Topaz**

"Tech specialist Peridot, this is Yellow Diamond. Come in." A cold, crackling hiss of a voice, similar to a viper, hissed into a strangely shaped radio clutched in a slender yellow wrist. The radio crackled as a voice on the other side answered.

"Yell… Yellow… Diamond! Thank the Homeworld your there! I just…" The hissing voice cut the other voice short. "I don't care. Listen here tech specialist, I only called because I am curious as to what has happened to Commander Jasper and Informant Lapis Lazuli." The other voice was silent for a moment, before responding shakily "Commander Jasper and Lapis Lazuli are currently fused as Malachite, trapped in one of this planet's "oceans". I've lost a leg and desperately require…"

"SILENCE!" Yellow Diamond roared. Peridot's voice faltered once again and trailed off with a nervous blare of static. "Good… now with some quiet, I can analyze this situation more clearly. From what you told of me, Lapis Lazuli was the one who had trapped their fused self, this Malachite, in the body of liquid?" The member of the Diamond Authority questioned.

Peridot took a nervous gulp before responding. "Ye… Yes…. From I have observed, Informant Lapis Lazuli has betrayed the Homeworld. She has not officially allied with those "Crystal Gems", but has done it for that "Steven". She is still trying to maintain control of the fusion." The tech specialist returned with a nervous tone.

Yellow Diamond put a hand to her chin as she calculated the various options to deal with this unexpected turn of events. Going to Earth herself would be impossible, as the Diamond Authority needed to stay together to fully maintain their incredible power, as well as this problem being too much of a minority to require a personal visit from her.

Given Peridot's trouble in even dealing with those Crystal Gems, the Gem leader knew she couldn't rely on that pathetic excuse for a Homeworld Gem. There was only one other option to look to in order to bring back Jasper and eliminate the traitor, Lapis Lazuli.

Topaz.

The name alone often caused weaker-minded gems to collapse from sheer terror. The gem by the name of Topaz was somewhat of a legend, a bounty hunter that could bring in any target, no matter who or what it was, for the right price of course. It was also a male, one of the rarest occurrences in gem history. Topaz was renowned for his abilities, and was once rumored to have single-handedly brought down an entire colony of Crimson Scorpions, nearly unstoppable monsters, with only his weapon in hand.

He was the perfect candidate to go to Earth, eliminate the traitor, and retrieve Commander Jasper. His price may be a little high, but nevertheless, the eldest member of the Diamond Authority was more than willing to pay his price when it came to matters like this.

"Alright. Try to stay in one piece tech specialist Peridot. I am sending Topaz to planet Earth as soon as possible." Yellow Diamond said to the radio. The voice was silent for a moment before spluttering indignantly "Yellow Diamond! I don't need that… _hunter_ to come help me retrieve Commander Jasper!" Yellow Diamond shook her head as she sighed heavily. "Peridot, when has it ever come to your attention you are completely outmatched against these Crystal Gems? You have lost a leg while fighting them, and even then you had the advantage!" Peridot attempted to argue, but Yellow Diamond cut her off with a cold "Yellow Diamond out." Instantly the connection between the two gems ended as the Diamond Authority member placed the device on the table in front of her.

She slowly crossed her arms as she pressed a button on the table and spoke into a microphone installed into it: "Emerald?" Instantly an obedient voice answered. "Yes great leader Yellow Diamond?" The gem smiled slightly at this choice of words. "Send for Topaz. I will need to brief him on his mission." She responded.

The gem on the other end quickly responded with a quick "Yes Ma'am!" before the connection cut off. Yellow Diamond then proceeded to turn back to the massive map of the galaxy she had on her wall. "That traitor Lapis Lazuli will regret ever betraying us to be with those Crystal Gems…" She hissed softly.


	2. Deployment

**Chapter 2: Deployment**

On an unknown planet deep in the Milky Way galaxy, a strange, armor-covered figure was busily fighting his way through a horde of ferocious, lion-like beasts, not pausing for even one second. A long mane of golden yellow hair trailed down his back. His eyes were bright, glaring gold. He grabbed one of the beasts before breaking its neck with a casual twist of his arm, before spinning around with his weapon at hand. Said weapon was a massive, golden rifle, and was not just for show as proven when a single shot blasted a massive hole in a beast's chest, dropping it effortlessly.

The figure was Topaz, better known by his epithet, the "Golden Hunter". He had been dispatched to this desolate planet to capture an escaped criminal, the gem warlord, Citrine. Said criminal had been completely and utterly shocked to see the famed Golden Hunter waiting on his doorstep, and had instantly dispatched his ferocious horde of Gem warhounds in a pitiful attempt to protect himself.

However, despite their sheer number and razor-sharp fangs, the hounds were no match for a determined bounty hunter of a caliber of Topaz's. The gem warrior, clad in his gleaming golden armor, effortlessly decimated the hounds that came at him, thinning their numbers gradually until the rest ran away with their tails between their legs, knowing the warrior standing across from them was too powerful to defeat.

Topaz slowly huffed as the last of the hounds sprinted away, catching his breath. The bounty hunter lived for fighting, but even he had a limit to his incredible stamina. He slowly raised his head as he shouldered his gargantuan rifle, and grinned as he stepped towards the armored door that protected the bounty and aimed his rifle at it, switching to explosive rounds…

Citrine was sitting in a lavish armchair, sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea he had obtained from Earth during one of his many visits there. Despite not having to eat or drink to survive, the gem warlord enjoyed this exquisite drink the earthlings drank, it tasted unique. Two armored guards flanked his chair, ready to defend their master to the last breath.

However, said determination was not much use as the door was blown apart with an ear-splitting boom. Shards sprayed through the air as a menacing figure appeared in the doorway, its golden armor recognizable anywhere in the galaxy. Without turning around, Citrine whispered "The Golden Hunter has come to retrieve my bounty eh…"

Topaz gave an arrogant grin as he pointed his rifle at the warlord and his guards. "Yep, and you know what's good for you, you'd better come with me so that I can retrieve my paycheck…" However, before the words were even out of his mouth the two guards opened fire, as did Citrine himself, wielding an ornate pistol in both hands.

The bounty hunter's incredible reflexes kicked in, and he quickly ducked beneath the bullets before aiming his rifle and loosing a shot. The energy bolt slammed into one of the guards, literally pulling him apart on impact, as his essence retreated into his gem. The rifle he was holding dropped to the ground before his gem did. The other guard, too shocked by the death of his friend to fight back, was quickly dispatched by the bounty hunter in a similar manner.

Citrine attempted to fire again, but with skillful accuracy Topaz shot the pistols from the warlord's hands, only slightly burning his fingers from the heat of the energy. Citrine howled in pain as he collapsed backwards, landing on his back on the warm carpet. He attempted to cool his fingers as he blew on them, but Topaz appeared in front of him, aiming his rifle directly at the warlord's chest.

"It seems your luck has ran out Citrine. I warned you to come with me." The Golden Hunter growled as he glared down at the cowering warlord through his visor. "Ma… Mark my words Topaz… one day… you will find something besides money… your heartless, cruel nature will be tamed… someday…" Citrine whispered before Topaz cracked him in the head with the butt of his rifle, knocking him unconscious. The bounty hunter grunted as he slung the limp body over his shoulder, before putting his weapon away in a gleam of golden light.

The Golden Hunter walked out to his Gem warship, provided by Yellow Diamond, a frequent client of his, as a gift for all the services he had done for her. Placing the limp body of Citrine in one of the warship's holding cells, he turned on the destabilizing field before walking back to the cockpit. He took a deep breath as he sat down, busily activating the thrusters and engine to get the ship off the planet's orbit.

With a loud rumbling, the massive hand-shaped warship lifted off the planet, hovering in space for a few moments before rocketing away back to the Gem Homeworld, where his client would be waiting for him. However, even as he leaned back in his chair while the autopilot steered for him, Citrine's warning was still flashing through his mind.

" _Something besides money? Something that will tame my nature? Bah! The fool didn't know what he was talking about."_ He thought as the warship continued to fly towards its destination. Suddenly the radio came alive with static.

"Bounty hunter Topaz!" The voice screeched. Topaz grunted in annoyance as he activated the comms link and spoke into it. "This is Topaz, what do you need?" He responded. "This is Emerald, Yellow Diamond's second-in command. I have another mission for you." The voice spoke. Topaz raised an eyebrow. "What mission?"

"The raiding party sent over three months ago to the planet Earth has still not returned yet. Commander Jasper and tech specialist Peridot are still missing from said party. Information gathered has indicated that the third member, informant Lapis Lazuli, has betrayed Jasper and Peridot for something named "Steven". Your mission is to assassinate the traitor and retrieve both Commander Jasper and tech specialist Peridot from the planet. You will receive 50000 credits for this mission." Topaz's eyes widened. 50000 credits would be enough to buy the new Twin-Quasar jet engine!

Topaz was also surprised to say the least. He had served with Jasper in the Homeworld army during the rebellion before becoming a bounty hunter, and she had proven to be one of the strongest and most ruthless individuals he had ever met. How could she, of all gems, be captured? "Tell Yellow Diamond I'm on my way. Let me deliver this guy here first before I go to this planet Earth you were speaking of."

"Message received Topaz. I will convey it to Yellow Diamond." Emerald responded as the link shut off. Topaz raised a hand to his face and sighed heavily as he rubbed it. Barely half an hour after his last mission and he was already been sent on another one. However the thoughts of the payment quickly wiped off his doubts as he placed a set of coordinates into Citrine's cell to propel the criminal to Homeworld by itself before he changed course to Earth.

" _Another mission in the day of the life of the Golden Hunter. It's been a while since I was allowed to kill someone. This is going to be fun."_ He thought to himself as he headed towards his destination.

 **Hah! Killing? We'll see about that once you get to Earth… Citrine's warning was a spoiler alert! Hint: The thing that will change Topaz's nature and greed for money and hunting is blue and wears a skirt… as well as being a former prisoner.**


	3. Arrival on Earth

**Chapter 3: Arrival on Earth and Meeting Lapis**

Topaz was awoken from his nap by his autopilot announcing that his warship had arrived on the planet given the name "Earth". He stretched as he rolled his shoulders, getting himself ready for the drop. Based on what had happened with Jasper's party, going down to the location named "Beach City" in his warship would be too dangerous. Those rebels of Homeworld, the so-called Crystal Gems, could be a potential obstacle to his mission.

Topaz had changed out of his armor before the mission, as the heaviness of said armor often impeded him when not in combat. He was a muscular gem, with a long mane of golden hair, similar to Jasper's hair style. He had a toned, muscular torso, with a long scar running down his chest from an incident with a deranged scientist's mutated experiment. His gem, a shining golden topaz, was embedded in his chest, directly over his heart.

His pupils were a glaring gold, gleaming in the glare of the Earth's sun. He was wearing a ripped military style jacket and combat boots, along with ragged camouflage pants. Said objects of clothing were in Citrine's wardrobe, and he found it rather interesting, so he shapeshifted them onto himself. Cracking his neck from side to side, he knew it was time to drop.

" **Master Topaz. Drop site detected. T-minus 30 seconds before destination arrival."** The autopilot reported. Topaz grinned as he strapped the advanced pack containing his armor to his back. With a single button, the armor would wrap around his entire body, encasing the Golden Hunter in his namesake suit of golden armor.

He then proceeded to enter an escape pod, the same kind Peridot had used to escape her destroyed warship, except this one was designed to basically do what humans called "parachuting" into enemy territory. In this case, Beach City. He pressed a few buttons on the dashboard before grinning as the Gem Warship aimed its pointer finger at the destination.

With an echoing boom, the tip opened and the escape pod was ejected in a spray of light. Topaz closed his eyes as he relaxed. It was only going to be a couple of minutes before he reached the city, but who could say he couldn't relax in the meantime?

 **Fifteen minutes later…**

There was a boom as the escape pod penetrated the Earth's atmosphere, as the round sphere rocketed towards its destination. It was an ordinary day in Beach City, with the Crystal Gems away on a mission, the small city was relaxing in a rare day with no danger. Mayor Dewey, as usual, was in the streets attempting to gain votes, while the restaurant owners were busy serving customers.

Steven was relaxing in his home, as the Gems had gone in an underwater mission. He had just opened a Cookie Cat sandwich and was about to bite into it when a sudden sonic boom echoed across the sky. His eyes widened as he ran to the window and looked, but saw nothing.

"Hmm… strange. Must have been a jet or something." He thought to himself as he bit into his sandwich, enjoying its mushy, sweet icy goodness.

 **Around a kilometer outside of Beach City, near the ocean where Malachite is imprisoned…**

The escape pod had crashed into a sandy beach near a glimmering body of water, where Emerald had reported Jasper's last location. Topaz grunted as he leaned back, before with a mighty kick booted the door clean off its hinges. As the metal plate landed a couple meters away, the mighty bounty hunter got out of the pod before dusting himself off.

He then proceeded to reach into his pack, before pulling out a specialized scouter the Homeworld scientists had specially designed for bounty hunters such as himself. It allowed him to read both the mission objectives as well as pinpoint the location of his target. Given the rather large size of the planet Earth, he knew finding his target would be difficult without the aid of the scouter.

He secured the scouter behind his ear, covering his left eye, before looking around the area. It looked relatively peaceful, with beautiful trees towering over the crystal-blue water, and the golden sand looked so pretty… Topaz shook off the thoughts. He was on this planet only for a mission.

He reached into his gem before pulling out his rifle. It was summoned through his lust for battle, along with his skill as a sharpshooter. He was also no slouch in close combat, as his confrontation with Citrine's pack of warhounds had anything to say about it.

Suddenly his scouter began to flash, a signal that his target was near. He held up his rifle as he slowly followed the directions the device gave him. Suddenly he stopped as a massive rumbling began to shake the ground underneath him.

His eyes widened as the water began to bubble and churn, a deep rumble quaking the ground underneath him. Slowly a massive head, topped with a mop of unruly white hair, rose out of the churning water, followed by four eyes, a slim torso, and… another torso.

The monstrosity had six arms, two acting as its primary arms and four more acting as legs on its second torso, similar to a centaur. Its body was a light blue, with its four eyes being sea-green. Where the nose was supposed to be was… " _Jasper's gem?!"_ Topaz thought to himself in shock as the fusion reared back and roared out its pain for all to hear.

" _Al… Almost there…!"_ Topaz heard a voice roar. Suddenly he realized that it was coming from the beast in front of him… Malachite, from what Emerald had told him. " _N…No! Have… to… for… Steven…"_ Topaz immediately realized what the name Steven was. Apparently his target had fused with Jasper for the sole purpose of saving this individual.

" _Too… Late!"_ Jasper's voice was becoming more and more dominant in controlling the fusion… Suddenly Malachite's massive body glowed, before with a glimmering of light, separated into two beings. One Topaz instantly recognized as Jasper, judging from the wild mane of white hair and the muscular physique. The other gem was this "Lapis Lazuli", or so he was told.

As the light began taking physical forms, Topaz aimed his rifle at the other gem. He was already beginning to get lost in the lust of battle, as judging from her previous dominance of the fusion, he knew this Lapis Lazuli would be no easy target. He already thought of the credits from bringing her shattered gem to Yellow Diamond…

Suddenly his breath caught in his throat as his grip loosened on his rifle, causing the weapon to drop to the sand. The gem had taken form, and he had never realized she could have been so… _beautiful._

Her slender body, clad in a beautiful blue dress that stretched down to her feet, her shoulder length sea-blue hair, her face… her beautiful navy-blue eyes… Mere words could not explain how much of a goddess Topaz thought she was at that moment.

Jasper had already gotten on her knees, spitting and coughing, and upon sighting her old friend from the Gem military, had shouted. "TOPAZ! SHOOT HER ALREADY BEFORE SHE HAS A CHANCE TO ESCAPE!" Topaz promptly ignored her, causing her to look on in shock.

Lapis coughed as she collapsed on her side, desperately looking around her. Her eyes widened as she saw the famed Golden Hunter, one of Homeworld's greatest bounty hunters and former military commanders, in front of her. Instantly despair set into her mind. Not only had Jasper broken free of the fusion she had worked so hard to create, but now Homeworld's greatest bounty hunter had arrived to finish her off…

A few tears began leaking from her eyes as she realized the hopelessness of the situation, and she broke down, freely sobbing. Topaz's heart wrenched as he saw this beautiful maiden crying so broken-heartedly, that he immediately ignored both Jasper's cries and the scouter's rapid flashing of the mission objectives.

He went forward, lowered himself on one knee, and gently stroked Lapis's tearstained cheek with a scarred finger. She slowly looked up at him in surprise as the bounty hunter smiled gently at her, his golden eyes had no malice or evil in them. The lust of battle, a quality of his that nearly described him, had all but gone away.

"Lapis Lazuli… Why has no one told me of your sheer beauty?... I cannot kill such beauty…" The bounty hunter whispered. Lapis's heart caught in her chest as she heard his words. The famed Golden Hunter… thought she was beautiful?

Suddenly a nasally voice interrupted them. "JASPER! THANK GOODNESS I…" Topaz and Lapis looked around to see a green gem, with a haircut resembling one of Earth's famed chips, looked at them in sheer surprise. She was missing a leg as well.

"Am I interrupting something?"

 **Ah! Topaz is developing feelings for Lapis! I wonder how Peridot and Jasper would react by the end of this meeting…**


	4. Going Against Orders

**Chapter 4: Going Against Orders**

Peridot looked on in shock at the strange scene. Jasper was on her knees, desperately gasping for breath, while the bruised, exhausted Lapis Lazuli was cradled in the arms of a muscular, golden-skinned warrior with a gleaming gem in his chest. Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized who the warrior was.

Topaz, the bounty hunter Yellow Diamond had sent to "aid" her in escaping this wretched planet, despite her protests. "What are you doing here?" She spat in disgust, glaring at the golden gem. Topaz grunted in annoyance. He was comforting this lovely maiden when suddenly this ungrateful green gem came out of nowhere, interrupting the rather blissful moment.

Lapis, meanwhile, was a state of complete shock. Being held in Topaz's arms felt… strangely comforting… She closed her eyes and sighed softly as Topaz turned his attention back to her and started to nuzzle her neck gently. "I would never hurt such a beauty like you Lapis Lazuli…" The bounty hunter whispered again.

Jasper had recovered at this point, and slowly got to her feet, a glare on her hardened face. This was not the same gem that had served with her in the Homeworld military. The real Topaz would have placed a bolt right between Lapis's shoulder blades without even a moment's hesitation, yet he was, hugging Lapis tightly in a loving embrace.

"ENOUGH!" She screamed. Instantly Topaz released Lapis, causing her to fall on her rear into the soft sand. He turned to her, a look of anger on his face. "What do you want Jasper?" He snarled. Jasper's face twisted into an evil scowl before she pointed directly at him. "What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to eliminate her for being a traitor to Homeworld!" Topaz glared at her while Peridot and Lapis looked on in shock in the background.

"I never knew Homeworld would send me to such a beautiful planet… nor would my target be one of the most beautiful maidens I have ever had the fortune to set my eyes on…" Lapis blushed in the background, a pale blue coming to her cheeks as she held a hand to her mouth bashfully. "Is that so? Is that your final decision? You are refusing Yellow Diamond's orders?" Jasper growled. Topaz narrowed his eyes. "My choice is made. This mission is terminated. I will not harm such an innocent female…"

With a flash of golden light, Jasper's armored helmet appeared on her head. "So be it… I will have to finish the job myself!" She bellowed as she lowered her head and charged at her former subordinate. Peridot quickly scrambled out of the way, but Lapis was too weak from holding Malachite together all these months to even attempt to move. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable crunch of Jasper's powerful charge ramming into her…

Suddenly there was a loud, echoing boom, and Lapis opened her eyes in shock to see Topaz, clad in his golden armor, holding Jasper back with both armored arms shoved against her chest. The Golden Hunter was straining to hold back the enraged Commander, but thanks to his armor as well as his natural strength and durability, he was holding on.

"Lapis Lazuli! Get out of here!" Topaz bellowed as he shoved Jasper back before telekinetically summoning his rifle to his hand. The massive golden weapon landed in its owner's outstretched hands as he aimed at Jasper, who was shaking off the shove. Lapis didn't need to be told twice. She hurriedly summoned her wings from her gem and turned to fly off, but turned back to see Topaz about to engage Jasper once more.

She barely knew him, he had been sent by Homeworld to neutralize her, and yet here he was, doing everything he possibly could to keep her safe. She felt safe in his presence… just safe… something she haven't felt in over three thousand years. Her heart twisted at the thought of leaving him alone to fight Jasper, but if his reputation had anything to say about it, he would be more than fine at the end of this fight.

Topaz glanced backwards as Lapis's form flew through the air, heading towards the faint outline of Beach City in the horizon. He grinned softly as he turned back to his new target. Lapis was safe, and that was all that mattered to the Golden Hunter. Jasper, however, was utterly outraged at this turn of events. How had her old friend degenerated this far? To show affection to an enemy?! What had happened to his lust for battle and ruthlessness?

"This isn't you Topaz. It seems that I have to finish your mission for you. I'll eliminate you first then execute that pathetic excuse for a gem Lapis Lazuli!" Jasper taunted. Topaz's vision flashed red as he glared at his former friend. Their mutual respect for each other had come from their similar attitudes towards battle and their loyalty towards Homeworld. However, hearing Lapis's name being tainted by Jasper's taunts were more than enough to get to the bounty hunter.

"You dare… speak… ill about Lapis Lazuli?!" Topaz thundered as he unleashed a barrage of shots. Jasper simply lowered her head and charged forward, her helmet deflecting most of the bullets everywhere. The Commander was not going to let Topaz, former friend or not, ruin what she had wanted for months. To kill Lapis for imprisoning her on this accursed planet.

Topaz's eyes widened as Jasper effortlessly ran through his barrage of bullets. "Enough is enough…" he thought to himself, before he dissipated his rifle and took a horse stance, fists crossed over his chest. Jasper continued barreling towards him, unaware of Topaz's secret ability, the ability of geokinesis.

The Golden Hunter had harnessed the ability to manipulate the earth throughout his long life, after learning his original purpose of being a gem made purely for destruction. Due to this special ability, along with his own physical prowess and massive rifle, made him feared throughout the galaxy before he had quit the Homeworld military to pursue his own career of hunting for criminals. This ability allowed him to generate quakes, as well giving him control over the land.

While Lapis's hydrokinesis was devastating when she was near water, the same would be said for Topaz near land. As Jasper neared him, Topaz suddenly whipped his fists to the sides. There was a sound like shattering glass as thin, white cracks began to spread from the area where his fists made contact with the air.

Instantly the ground rumbled as the golden gem had generated two powerful quakes into the air itself, causing a powerful earthquake to form. Instantly Jasper's charge was stopped short as the powerful quake threw her off balance. He then slowly raised his hand, causing a giant fist to be formed out of soil and earth.

Before Jasper could react, Topaz had slammed the fist into her, sending her careening away. She crashed into the ground, causing a cloud of dust to rise up. Topaz then proceeded to bury her in a massive mountain of rock and stone.

Confident that she wouldn't be able to escape from her earthen prison, the golden gem turned and started running towards Beach City, in order to find Lapis again. Unbeknown to him, the powerful display of geokinesis had barely affected Jasper, as she blew her way out of the pile of stone with a powerful headbutt.

She slowly stood tall, bitter anger glinting in her eyes. One of her oldest friends had turned on the Homeworld for the purpose of helping a stranger. This would not sit well with Yellow Diamond, considering her trust in Topaz and his abilities. She needed to report this, but she had no methods of communication with Homeworld…

Suddenly she saw a glimmer of movement in the corner as Peridot slowly walked out, groaning in pain. Jasper quickly ran to her. Peridot had barely managed to escape Topaz's massive quake, which had affected Beach City as well, causing some buildings to collapse. Nevertheless, she was slightly wounded, with a visible crack in her upper arm from being caught slightly in the direction of the quake.

Suddenly she saw a dark shadow in front of her, and realized it was Jasper. Her superior glared down at her, her helmet gleaming in the sun. "Ja…Jasper?" Peridot whispered, but was silenced as Jasper grabbed her and slung her over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Come on squirt. We need to communicate with Homeworld and inform Yellow Diamond her best hunter has betrayed us…" She snarled as she walked back towards the gem communications hub, which Peridot had managed to rebuild since Sugilite destroyed it.

"But what about Lapis Lazuli and Topaz himself?" Peridot asked. Jasper merely scoffed.

"I've got something planned for those star-crossed lovers…"


	5. Unwanted Feelings

**Chapter 5: Unwanted Feelings**

Topaz grunted as he neared the faint outline of Beach City. The city had taken a beating from his display of geokinesis, and a couple of buildings were either down or crumbling from the force of the shockwave. He felt slightly guilty for having done that, but there was no other way to take care of Jasper… Suddenly the thought of Lapis Lazuli came to his mind. Where had the blue gem had gone?

A flurry of movement caught his eye, and he twisted round, hoping to find the intriguing beauty he had stopped his mission for… But it turned out to be Mayor Dewey, having narrowly escaped a crumbling building and was currently on the ground coughing his heart out. Topaz grunted, disappointment clearly evident in his golden eyes, but he went over to see if this "human" was alright.

Mayor Dewey was confused as hell. He had just finished managing to tally a few votes from the Frymans and the owners of Fish Stew Pizza before a massive earthquake had shaken the entire city to its roots, causing quite a few buildings to either crumble to pieces or nearly be demolished. The force of the shockwave had knocked the mayor himself from the top of his vehicle to the ground, where a building had nearly flattened him before he rolled out of the way.

He slowly grunted as he raised his head… only to see a massive, armor-clad figure standing in front of him, its dazzling golden eyes gleaming in the sunlight. Suddenly it spoke in a deep, menacing voice. "Are you alright human?" Mayor Dewey nearly leaped out of his skin as he heard the figure speak. It was like listening to a phantom.

"Who… What are you?!" He screamed in fear as he attempted to backpedal away. "DAD!" Buck screamed as he rushed over to his cowering father, who Topaz was looking at in confusion. Did all humans react this way to being offered help? He would never understand these creatures…

"Dad, you alright?!" Buck asked his father frantically as he wrapped his father's arm around his shoulder before hefting him up. The flustered mayor breathed deeply, before calming himself as he looked up. He saw Topaz and instantly started to hyperventilate again before Buck shook him gently to calm him down. "Dad chill… You're going to suffer a nervous breakdown again."

Topaz shook his head. He had no time to waste with those humans. He had to go find Lapis and make sure she was safe… Suddenly the bounty hunter's eye caught a massive building, its supporting beams torn apart by the force of the shockwave, wobble as it began to tilt over. At this rate, Topaz knew it would flatten the two humans… and himself as well.

It was no problem for him, being covered in tremendously durable armor as well as being a gem, but for those fleshy humans… a different story indeed. As the building tilted over, something inside Topaz moved, and before he knew it he had leaped forward and tackled the humans out of harm's way.

As Topaz dropped the shocked humans to the ground after saving from death, Jasper's words suddenly came to his mind. " _This isn't you Topaz." This isn't you…_ Topaz growled in pain as he dropped to his knees, his golden-armored hand slamming into the concrete and gripping it so hard, cracks formed. He was the famed Golden Hunter, the remorseless bounty hunter…

Instantly memories flashed through his mind, from when he had single-handedly defeated an entire force of Venusian mercenaries, to another time when he had ripped the head off an enemy warlord and had presented it to Yellow Diamond. He was ruthless, brutal, and an utterly unmatched killer. He had decimated entire enemy armies and kept his victims' personal belongings as trophies. Yellow Diamond had put all her trust and faith into him… and he had failed her by ending his mission for one female gem…

" _Jasper was right… why have I degenerated this far? To have compassion for a target? Saving these humans from danger? What have I become?!"_ He snarled as he attempted to control his dazed thinking, to no success. The feared Golden Hunter was experiencing emotions, a principle that only humans and certain gems, such as Rose Quartz and her Crystal Gems, experienced. Gems were unthinking creatures, designed to be artificial and cold. Emotions were not part of the formula.

No words could describe the conflicting feelings going on in Topaz's head at the moment. One side, his warrior side, urged him to continue the mission and eliminate Lapis once and for all, while the other side insisted that he follow his heart and spare her life. He shook his head as he slowly got up from his crouching position.

Mayor Dewey and his son looked on in shock as the golden-armored warrior stalked off into the distance. "Uh… who was he?" Buck questioned his father. The mayor shook his head in a daze, unable to respond. "Someone we shouldn't question…" Mayor Dewey whispered.

 **At Steven's house…**

"So this mysterious bounty hunter saved you?!" Steven yelled excitedly as jumped in place. Lapis smiled fondly at the young half-Gem. She had barely escaped before Topaz had unleashed his geokinesis, and both she and Steven had felt the effect of the powerful quake. The blue gem had never known Topaz knew how manipulate the earth… but knew it was similar to her own ability of hydrokinesis. The Crystal Gems had not returned from their mission yet, and Lapis was grateful for that. She could not bear laying eyes on those traitors.

"Yes, then he fought Jasper and defeated her… temporarily." She responded. She knew of the Golden Hunter's reputation, but even he could keep Jasper down for good. She knew it from personal experience, as staying trapped in a fusion with the Commander was torture beyond torture. Lapis shuddered from the horrid memories she had while trapped in the Malachite Realm with only her former Commander for company.

"WOW! He defeated Jasper?! How?!" Steven nearly screamed in excitement. He had never known there could have been another male gem aside from him, and even less one that would be able to defeat an enemy as strong and determined as Jasper was. Lapis withdrew her wings into her gem as she slowly landed, before walking up and sitting beside Steven on the porch.

"Topaz has the ability of geokinesis, the power to manipulate the earth. While I can shift the entire ocean to my command, he can control the aspects of the very land we stand on." Lapis explained. Steven's eyes turned into stars as he thought of the ability to generate earthquakes and form giant weapons made out of the earth itself.

"STEVEN!" A sudden voice screamed, interrupting their conversation. Lapis and Steven quickly whipped around to see Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst standing in the doorway of the cabin, eyes filled with shock at the sight of Lapis.

"WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!" Pearl screamed as she drew her spear from her gem, while Garnet summoned her gauntlets and Amethyst her whip. Lapis's eyes narrowed as she summoned her wings and slowly lifted into the air, before raising her hand up as a massive hand made of water rose out of the sea.

"I want no trouble Crystal Gems. Steven Universe is my friend as well as yours. I do not want to start a conflict." Lapis warned as the three gems stood in front of the worried Steven protectively. "You are too dangerous to do as you please. Now that you have escaped from Malachite we have no choice but to bubble you." Garnet warned.

Lapis's eyes began to flare with blue light as she unleashed her true potential. The ocean started to rumble as massive waves rocked the surface. "HAVN'T I TOLD YOU BEFORE? I AM DONE BEING ANYONE'S PRISONER!" Lapis screamed. Garnet leaped at the enraged gem, prepared to knock her out with a punch, but a powerful quake knocked her clean out of the sky before she could attempt it.

As Garnet landed on the beach in an explosion of sand, the shocked gems, Lapis included, turned around to see Topaz, his fists wrapped in quake bubbles, standing a couple meters away from the cabin. "I saved her from one enemy… and I come here to see this?! You three are the remnants of Rose Quartz's army? How pathetic… I might as well bring your heads to Yellow Diamond instead of the beauty known as Lapis Lazuli…" The blue gem slowly floated back to the ground as she glanced at him in shock.

Garnet got up before cracking her neck. She scowled as she took a fighting stance, Pearl and Amethyst following. "If you are indeed as dangerous as a bounty hunter as the rumors say, then it will be a good choice to bubble you." The fusion snarled. Topaz shook his head and chuckled as he drew his rifle from his gem, before wielding it in one hand while summoning a quake bubble in the other, before suddenly turning to stare at Steven in surprise.

"And what is this?..." Topaz asked, before suddenly realizing. "This must be the son of Rose Quartz… Yellow Diamond would pay nicely to see this thing brought to her." He said as he aimed his rifle at Steven… before the massive hand backhanded him, sending him flying.

The bounty hunter quickly dug his armored feet into the ground, stopping the force, before turning and glaring at… Lapis. The blue gem was standing in front of Steven protectively, the sea still rumbling as her hydrokinesis activated. The Crystal Gems were looking on in pure shock. Lapis Lazuli, who had tried to drown Steven, stole the ocean, and broke Greg's leg… had just saved him…

Steven's eyes widened as he realized the events that had transpired. Lapis had risked her life many times to save him… and here she was, doing it again. Topaz snarled as he glared at the maiden. He had spared her life… and this was how she repaid him?!

"SO BE IT! I'LL BRING YOUR HEAD AS WELL LAPIS LAZULI!" He bellowed as he drew back his quake bubble-wrapped fist and swung it, cracking the air once more and sending a powerful quake thundering through the air towards Steven. Lapis countered it with the hand causing it to destabilize from the force of the quake and topple back into the sea.

Topaz then threw his rifle to the ground before digging both hands into the air. "I thought you were different Topaz…" Lapis whispered as she summoned her hydrokinesis.

The battle between sea and land had begun.


	6. Land vs Sea

**Chapter 6: Battle between Land and Sea**

Garnet grabbed Steven as she and the other Crystal Gems scrambled out of the way as the battle between the reluctant Lapis and Topaz began. Topaz concentrated as his fingers dug into the air like it was a tangible material. Deep inside, both gems did not want to fight. After saving her two times, the golden gem had no desire to continue the mission, as he had stated to Jasper. Despite this, when _she_ attacked him when he had tried to collect the bounty on Steven's head, he felt betrayed and hurt by the very target he, of all bounty hunters, had spared. Lapis was also conflicted. This was the gem who had saved her multiple times, as well as fending off Jasper. However, attacking Steven was out of the question.

Topaz's fingers began glowing with a faint, whitish aura as he focused his powerful geokinesis into them. With a sharp yank, he literally _tilted_ the entire stretch of beach where the Crystal Gems' house was situated. Pearl screamed in shock as she and Amethyst were thrown by the force of the tilt, slamming into the ground so hard, the sand blew away as cracks formed in the bare ground. Garnet was thrown into the air as well, clutching a shivering Steven in her arms, but hit the ground running. She quickly ran to a safe distance before putting Steven down and turning back to look at the battle. Her eyes widened as the fight unfolded before her.

Lapis had used the ocean to shield herself in a protective sphere that prevented the tilt from affecting her, but it quickly shattered from the powerful force. The stretch promptly tilted back to its original position as Topaz drew both arms back and hurled them forward, quake-bubbled fists cracking the air and sending two quakes towards the blue gem.

Lapis narrowed her eyes as she summoned two large torrents of water from the ocean, before whirling them around herself and blasting them forward at hypersonic speeds. The quakes slammed into the jets of water, causing an enormous explosion of water to spray all over the place. Lapis didn't let up as she zoomed through the air, her wings flapping furiously as she formed a long, razor-edged battle-axe with her hydrokinesis.

Topaz shook his head and snarled viciously as he struggled to look through the spray of water still dripping all over the beach. His golden eyes widened as he saw Lapis hurtling towards him like a missile, a long axe formed out of water in her hands, ready to hew his head off. He snarled as he drew back his fist, the quake-bubble dissipating as a long, jagged saber made out of hardened sand formed in his hand.

The two gems charged towards each other and slammed their weapons against the others, causing a massive shockwave to spread from the point of impact. Due to the proficient control over their respective manipulation abilities, their weapons did not shatter. The two gems then clashed their weapons over and over again, creating shockwaves each time they clashed.

Lapis drew back her axe before whirling it skillfully before bringing it forward again. Before Topaz could react, the blade had smashed into him with hypersonic speed, propelling him away. The golden gem quickly recovered and did a series of flips, before landing nimbly on his feet. His golden eyes flashed with pure rage as he focused his geokinesis. He then drew back both fists and began throwing them forward. Due to his superhuman strength and speed, his fists moved so rapidly they seemed to blur, becoming a flurry of powerful punches. The rapid punches unleashed barrage of barrage of powerful quakes at Lapis, who dissipated her axe and responded by creating a massive shield of deep, pressurized water.

The quakes caused the entire area to shake as they slammed into the shield, but the water withstood each powerful impact. However, it was visibly weakening as quake after quake slammed into it. Lapis had been formulating a plan to take care of Topaz once and for all. As the last quake slammed into the weakened shield, finally collapsing it, the blue gem turned and hurled herself into the nearby ocean like a fish. Instantly Topaz's eyes widened as he realized his most critical mistake. He had let his opponent escape into her natural environment, where her power would be at its zenith.

Concentrating, Lapis raised her hands as she did a series of complex hand movements, her fingers crooking as she put all of her power into this move. Instantly the ocean began to rumble, the surface of the water rippling as the ocean gem unleashed the full potential of her already devastating hydrokinesis. " _Two can play at that game Lapis Lazuli."_ Topaz thought as he drew his rifle. Utilizing his shapeshifting ability, he transformed the rifle into its other form, a massive, bronze-headed hammer. He preferred to use this weapon when engaging more troublesome enemies in hand-to-hand combat. The hammer had immense striking power, but required a strong user, perfectly suited for a powerful juggernaut like Topaz.

Lapis's eyes widened as Topaz drew the hammer above his head, grunting slightly in effort. He quickly wrapped a quake-bubble around the top of the hammer, encasing it in a sphere of white energy, before bringing it down with a powerful downward swing. Sensing this, Lapis immediately thrust both hands forward. Instantly the ocean's waters churned as they formed a massive waterspout, which the blue gem hurled at Topaz.

Garnet had already seen this through her future vision, and realized it would most likely destroy the entire area. Tightening her hold around a struggling, squealing Steven, the fusion quickly grabbed the unconscious bodies of Pearl and Amethyst off the ground before sprinting away. "Garnet! What about Lapis?!" Steven screamed in protest. "We have no time!" Garnet responded.

As the Crystal Gems retreated from the area, Lapis scowled as she turned to see the traitors running. Topaz merely grinned as his hammer smashed into the sand, instantly causing a massive boulder, the size of half of Beach City itself, to uncover itself from the sand and fly into the air. He then drew back the hammer like a baseball bat before swinging, smashing the gargantuan boulder like a rocket towards the incoming waterspout.

As the massive, whirling column of water met the enormous rock, Lapis and Topaz realized they should have fled a reasonable distance before they launched their attacks… When the waterspout slammed into the rock, the two projectiles instantly exploded, showering the area with concussive blasts of water and massive shards of stone.

Lapis screamed as the force sent her flying, while Topaz dug his armored feet deep into the sand, his massive strength enabling him to withstand the force. He smirked as he knew he had won… before his heart suddenly gave a painful lurch. The bounty hunter grunted in pain and annoyance as his hand went to his heart, before suddenly realization slammed him like a nuclear bomb.

He had developed feelings for Lapis Lazuli.

He had hurt her, by his own hands.

He had hurt the one he had promised never to hurt.

Instantly his feelings of bloodlust and battle faded as he dropped his hammer as he started sprinting at frantic speed towards the falling body of Lapis.

The blue gem had been pummeled by the force of the blast, her dress torn in several places while various slashes and scratches marred her once perfect body. She struggled to retain consciousness as she heard someone yelling for her…

The last thing she saw before she passed out was a yellow figure, his golden eyes filled with tears, kneeling down in front of her.

"LAPIS!"


	7. Recovery and First Kiss

**Chapter 7: Recovery and First Kiss**

Topaz immediately ran towards the fallen body of Lapis, who was completely unconscious by this point. The golden gem gritted his teeth as he fell to his knees in front of the blue gem, before picking her up and holding her tenderly. Lapis groaned softly, indicating she was not so heavily wounded as to have had to retreat into her gem.

Topaz grunted as a few stray tears leaked from his eyes, dripping softly into the clear, white sand and leaving blemishes. He did not realize that gems could cry, himself included, but had stimulated him to shed these drops of water like a pathetic human?! The bounty hunter shook his head as his armor retracted from his body, as there was no further need for it.

He slowly looked over Lapis's body, golden eyes tracing the tears and rips on her dress, as well as the various scars and cuts all over her body from the collision of sea and earth. Instantly his heart wrenched as guilt slowly settled in his mind. He was responsible for hurting her, the very target he had developed such strong feelings for…

He quickly turned, searching for any area where he and his new companion could rest. Nightfall was starting to descend around Beach City, and the golden gem knew with both the Crystal Gems along with Jasper and Peridot, he and Lapis could not stay in the open for too long. Suddenly his scouter began flashing as it discovered a small cave on top of a nearby cliff.

"Perfect…" Topaz whispered as he sprinted over to his hammer, careful not to disturb Lapis, and dissipated the weapon using the power of his gem. He then turned and held Lapis in the crook of one arm as he drew back the other and punched forward, cracking the air and causing an entire staircase of rock and stone to form, leading up to the cliff. Topaz grinned as he began to stalk up the stairs, holding Lapis tenderly in his arms.

 **30 minutes later…**

Lapis slowly opened her eyes and groaned in pain as a pounding headache set in. The last thing she remembered was her hydrokinesis clashing with Topaz's geokinesis, and being hurled away by the force of the blast while her opponent withstood it easily. She had thought all was lost… but instead of finishing her off, the golden gem had come running towards her with tears in his eyes, clearly showing regret.

" _Why… did he save me so many times?"_ Lapis thought as she slowly got up, rubbing her head with a hand as she slowly looked around her surroundings. She realized she was in a cave, judging from the gray walls, but where was the bounty hunter that had saved her. "You finally awoke Lapis Lazuli." A deep voice rumbled.

She looked around in shock to see the golden gem propped up against the wall, his arms crossed over his knees as he stared at her with his golden eyes. She gave a small shriek of surprise as she scrambled away from the golden gem, retreating to the far corner of the cave. The bounty hunter's eyes softened as he realized she was still not fully settled to his presence, considering the massive pummeling he had given her with his geokinesis.

"It's alright Lapis Lazuli… I will never hurt you again." The golden gem reassured her. She narrowed her eyes as she slowly touched the scar on her right arm from where a shard of stone had cut her. Could she trust him? He may have saved her a total of three times, yet she could not shake off the fact that he had tried to kill Steven. She couldn't care less about the Earth or the Crystal Gems, but to Steven, she owed a debt for befriending her and freeing her from that accursed mirror. She slowly got up to a sitting position, before gasping slightly in pain as she nearly fell to the ground from the pain in her legs. Topaz noticed and quickly leaped to her side, wrapping both arms around her and bringing her to his chest.

Instantly another light blue blush formed across Lapis's face as she realized how close of a proximity she was to the bounty hunter. He stared at her lovingly, his golden eyes glimmering with regret and hope that she might forgive him. "Than… Thank you…" She managed to stutter as Topaz gently released her. She sat down, as did he.

Topaz smiled back at her, a faint blush gracing his own cheeks. "It was my pleasure Lapis…" He said softly, using only the first part of her name for the first time since they had met. She gave him a small smile back, before they both awkwardly stared at the ground, Lapis trailing her hand in the small pool of water in the middle of the cave, while Topaz crossed his arms across his chest as he stared up at the ceiling, the blush still refusing to leave his face.

"Topaz…" Lapis whispered, enjoying the taste of his name on her tongue. It just felt… right. The golden gem turned to face her. "Yes Lapis Lazuli?" He responded, his golden eyes surveying her form. She still had numerous scratches and cuts all over her body, along with a torn dress, but he knew she could regenerate them easily due to her shapeshifting ability. Another wave of guilt slammed him as he knew that it was by his own doing that he had caused her to sustain such wounds. He did not get it though, why would she risk fighting him if she knew she would lose just to protect some human?

That Steven character… what was so unique about him that made the Earth-despising Lapis Lazuli want to fight to protect him? He would never know unless he asked the blue gem herself, even if it would make her angry again. He had to know. By now he knew that Jasper and her accomplice that "Peridot", would have contacted Homeworld due to the latter's superior technological skills.

He also knew that his defection would have caused Yellow Diamond's rage to skyrocket. There would be no telling what the Diamond Authority member would do now that she realized her most loyal and strongest bounty hunter had abandoned her cause. He knew that he would have to be constantly on the move in order to protect both himself… as well as his former target.

Lapis took one look at the guilt and regret in Topaz's golden eyes and knew that his feelings were genuine. He had not meant to hurt her, but her stopping of the killing of Steven had both shocked and dismayed him, so his natural lust for battle had returned as a temporary solution his emotional turmoil. Suddenly he interrupted her thoughts with a soft question.

"Lapis Lazuli… may you please tell me your story?" The blue gem stared at him in surprise. Why would he want to know about her past? She then looked down in surprise as Topaz gently held her delicate hand in his bigger, battle-scarred one. She then looked back up and stared into his eyes with shock. They were filled with a softness his reputation would not have allowed.

"Please Lapis… I need to know…" He pleaded. Lapis closed her eyes and took a slow, shuddering breath, before she started to explain her past. Her beginning was unique in the fact that her creation was personally oversaw by Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond's younger sister, as well as being the personal right hand of said diamond around 10,000 years ago. She had gained the ability of hydrokinesis instead of a normal gem weapon, as to help regulate water content in Homeworld as well as providing a means of self-protection.

Life had passed normally, until the fateful day Pink Diamond, otherwise known as "Rose Quartz" to her followers, had turned on the Homeworld when they attempted a cleanup of the planet Earth's native population, the human race. She had somehow found enough beauty and such in these creatures to turn on her own sisters and race…

Casualties were horrible on both sides, from both the Homeworld's forces as well as those "Crystal Gems", or what the followers of the former Pink Diamond called themselves. Lapis, saddened by the needless death of her fellow gems, had volunteered to go to Earth and use the very oceans of the planet to deliver a decisive blow against Rose and her followers.

Once there, she had delivered devastation to the Crystal Gems with her immensely powerful control over the waters, with many perishing in disastrous tsunamis and powerful waterspouts. It was finally Rose Quartz herself that had ended the mayhem the blue gem was causing, by stabbing her through the gut with her sword after using her phytokinesis to entangle the ocean gem in thick vines.

As her physical form retreated into her gem, Rose had sealed her in the mirror as a means of precaution, as who knew what could happen if she was left to regenerate. Topaz's hands curled into fists as she went over the events from Steven having found her all the way to her forced fusion with Jasper. A few tears leaked from her eyes as she described the way everyone around her had treated her as a prisoner… All but Steven…

Topaz now realized why the young hybrid was so important to her… He had saved her from eternal imprisonment in that damned mirror. He now realized the true bond between the blue gem and Rose Quartz's son. Despite this, the golden gem knew that all Lapis wanted was to be free… and by all means… he was going to give it to her.

Lapis slowly closed her mouth as she finished her tragic background, before staring at the ground blankly. Suddenly, she felt a pair of muscular arms wrap themselves around her waist, before she was pulled gently against Topaz's chest.

She looked up in pure shock and surprise as the golden gem stared down lovingly at her. Words could not describe the beauty of Lapis Lazuli's navy-blue eyes to Topaz. It was like staring into the depths of the ocean as he continued looking straight into her blue orbs.

"Topaz… wh… what are you doing?" She whimpered softly as he lowered his head to hers. "I swear by the honor of a brave gem… I will make sure no one ever makes you a prisoner again Lapis Lazuli…. Over these past few days… I realized… that… I… love… you." He whispered softly, conveying his feelings to her in that one speech.

Lapis's eyes widened as she realized what he promised. Here was someone besides Steven that would make sure she was no one's prisoner ever again… Before the blue gem could react though, Topaz had leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, as he gently pushed her to the ground, staying in their passionate liplocking all the while.

Lapis closed her eyes as she moaned softly, enjoying the feeling of the golden gem's lips against her own. The feelings coursing through her as he kissed her, no words could describe. She knew he loved her…

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he tightened his hold around her slender waist, never separating from each other. After a few minutes of passionate kissing, Topaz slowly pulled Lapis into his chest, as the blue gem closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him.

"I love you Lapis…" Topaz whispered. She stared back at him with love in her own eyes. "I love you too Topaz…" she whispered sleepily, before resting her head in on his chest as she fell asleep. He gave a soft smile before resting his head against the top of her head and fell asleep as well.

He would never let anyone harm her.

She completed him…

 **Ah! I love fluff! You guys had better enjoy this chapter as I spent a lot of time writing it!**


	8. Proposal

**Chapter 8: Comfort and Proposal**

 **Hey guys! I'm warning you! This chapter is going to give you guys diabetes from the sheer amount of fluff! Enjoy!**

Topaz groaned softly as he slowly awoke from his slumber, raising a hand to wipe his face as he slowly opened his golden eyes. He slowly looked around him, the sun shining through the cave's mouth and bathing him in radiant sunlight. However one thing was missing…

The bounty hunter looked down in shock to see the female gem he loved not snuggled against him as she was last night. His eyes widened as he frantically looked around to see where Lapis was, but there were no signs of the ocean gem anywhere in the cave. He then heard some light sobbing coming from the mouth, but he did not see anyone there…

He slowly got up as he stretched, his golden eyes starting to glow as he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. He had to find Lapis before any of their numerous enemies could. He reached a hand into his gem and pulled out his rifle as he strode outside cautiously. Who knew who or what could be lurking outside the cave's boundaries.

The golden gem was immediately greeted by the beauty of the Earth as he stepped outside, the sun's rays lighting the environment around him in dazzling colors. Topaz had been forged on Homeworld as a gem made purely for destruction, a secret devastating weapon that was to only be released when they needed power. The only things he had seen over the 10,000 years he had been "alive" was violence and pain. The only things he had done was obliterate and enslave. Nothing he had ever seen before in his lifetime was comparable to the beauty of this supposed "trash" planet Earth.

The sunlight shined over the flowing ocean, waves gently crashing against the sandy shore. The people of Beach City were doing their daily business, some customers being served by the fast-food owners, while others were watching Jamie, now studying an acting degree at Beach City College, doing a play. Considering the odds, the golden gem found this sight beyond beautiful, Earth fascinated him.

Topaz suddenly heard the light sobbing again, before he quickly turned to the source. He then realized the sobbing was coming from the top of the cliff, some forty feet above. He glared at the towering cliff before drawing back his fist. He punched forward cracking the air as another staircase appeared, leading to the top of the cliff. He then shouldered his rifle as he climbed.

 **Meanwhile on the top of the cliff…**

Lapis sniffled softly as she rested her head between her arms. After she had woken up, she found herself snuggled tightly against Topaz's chest, his muscular arms wrapped protectively around her waist. She felt safe and happy… before a sudden realization hit her. She had fallen in love with her would-be assassin… how could she?

She knew that Topaz's feelings for her were genuine, as judged by the numerous times he had saved her life, despite the commander of the Diamond Authority herself giving him instructions to specifically kill her. She slowly raised a hand to her lips as her thoughts flashed back to the gentle, loving way he had kissed her the previous night, something a gem of his reputation would not have able to give.

Despite this though, she could not shake off the feeling of this entire relationship being… _wrong._ She was afraid that he was just another gem using her for his own benefit, especially considering his loyalty to Homeworld. The blue gem had become more and more cautious and withdrawn from those around her as they all sought to make her their prisoner… Would Topaz be an exception?

She was just so confused by her feelings towards him… She lowered her head as a few more azure tears dripped from her navy-blue eyes, hitting the ground with soft plops. Suddenly she heard a sound like shattering glass, as Topaz used his geokinesis to generate another flight of stairs, this one leading directly to the top of the cliff. Her eyes widened as she quickly generated her wings. She wasn't going to stick around when he realized she abandoned him the night after they had confessed their feelings to each other…

It was too late however, as she felt a massive hand made of earth and stone grab her by the waist as she attempted to fly. She struggled furiously, but it was fruitless as the golden gem clambered on the cliff, his golden eyes glowing faintly with an unknown emotion. The female struggled for a few more moments, but closed her eyes and whimpering softly as he approached her, his massive rifle gleaming faintly in the sun.

She clenched her teeth as she turned her head around, unwilling to meet his eyes. Lapis heard the clambering of his footsteps as he walked up next to her, before he kneeled down and gently held a finger to her chin. "Lapis… why did you leave this morning?" He asked softly. His voice was gentle and filled with love, but Lapis couldn't help but think that it wasn't true, that this entire business with her was a sham, yet her heart refused to listen to that opinion.

"To… Top... Topaz… I… I…" She whispered softly as more tears clogged her throat. Topaz's heart wrenched painfully as he watched the female he loved so much in tears. He loosened the hand before causing it to collapse back into the earth before he caught her as she fell. "Lapis… tell me what's wrong…" He pleaded.

"I… I… I just don't know… if your feelings are true…" She managed to whisper through her tears, her chest still heaving as she struggled to release her emotions. Topaz's eyes widened as he realized what was plaguing her. She was a prisoner… first to the Crystal Gems, and now to the rest of the world… she didn't know whether or not to trust his love for her…

"Lapis..." He whispered. The blue gem slowly looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "You truly think my love for you isn't genuine?" He asked softly, his formerly hardened eyes softening as he gazed upon her petite form. "That couldn't be…" He began as Lapis continued staring up at him, expecting him to confess that it was all a cruel joke and that she would face death in the next couple of minutes… before he leaned in and kissed her.

Her eyes widened as he pulled her into his arms, holding her tenderly against his chest as he continued kissing her with passion. That kiss promptly erased all her doubts, making her realize that Topaz truly did love her. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he slid his tongue into her mouth, wrapping it tightly around hers' as they continued the passionate kiss.

The two slowly separated after a few minutes of passionate kissing, a thin trail of saliva connecting their mouths even as they pulled away. He then slowly let her slide to the ground as he fell beside her, panting slightly from the exertion and excitement.

"Lapis… you were the first female I had ever developed feelings for…" He whispered softly, reaching over with a scarred hand and gently caressing her cheek. Lapis slowly put her hand to his before he released her cheek and held her hand gently in his.

Her delicate hand, held within his battle-scarred one, was indeed a sign of love… Before Topaz leaned forward and gently nuzzled Lapis's neck causing her to gasp softly in shock. Back on Homeworld, a male gem nuzzling a female's neck meant that he wanted her as a mate. Given that Topaz had nuzzled her, she knew he wanted her to be his mate…

"I love you Lapis… please… be my mate…" He whispered softly, confirming the proposal. If the female agreed to the male's proposal, she nuzzled him back… if she didn't, she would have to attack the male to dissuade him…

Topaz slowly looked as Lapis continued looking at him… expecting to feel the pain of a hydro-spear plunging into his neck… but his eyes widened as he felt Lapis nuzzle him back, tucking her head against the bottom of his neck as she sighed softly. "Yes Topaz… I will be your mate…" She whispered.

The golden gem slowly closed his eyes as he pulled Lapis into his lap, before the two new mates shared another loving, sweet kiss as the sun's rays continued to shine over them….


	9. Fusion

**Chapter 9: First Fusion**

While Lapis and Topaz were sharing their tender moment together as new mates, the Crystal Gems were preparing to go on one of their most important missions: capture both Lapis and Topaz, as well as deal with Peridot and Jasper. Steven, as expected, could not come because of Pearl's concern for his wellbeing.

As the young Gem-human hybrid watched his mother figures get onto the warp pad, Garnet turned to say one more thing to him before they left. "I love you." She smiled as she shaped her fingers into the outline of a heart. As the three gems vanished in a flash of multicolored light, Steven blushed from the praise as he waved shyly at the empty pad.

Suddenly, he remembered that he was supposed to meet Connie for a sword/music practise. He quickly ran up to his room to grab his ukulele when he saw that his TV was acting up again. The screen was flaring with a bizarre combination of colors, before a sudden image flashed onscreen. His eyes widened as he saw Peridot's face, her beady eyes appearing to be glaring at him even though she was not really there.

"Connecting to all communication hubs, this is tech specialist Peridot. I have found my escort Jasper. We are currently on planet Earth and require backup. The bounty hunter Topaz had betrayed us and made off with informant Lapis Lazuli. I repeat, the bounty hunter Topaz has betrayed us and escaped with Lapis Lazuli. Please send backup Yellow Diamond." The technologically talented gem spoke before the screen cut off with a blare of static.

Steven's mind was racing faster than his hunger for Cookie Cat ice cream as he processed the information. Peridot and Jasper were still active, and also broadcasted a distress message to the Homeworld. If Yellow Diamond was actually as cold and evil as he heard of, he knew Earth would be done for. There was only one solution.

Closing his eyes, the young boy turned and rushed into the warp pad, standing still as a flash of light surrounded him. Within a few seconds, he was gone. So much for the practise.

 **Meanwhile, on top of the cliff…**

Topaz and Lapis sat contently next to each other on the edge of the cliff, watching the beautiful sun over Beach City, along with the gentle waves of the ocean and the squawking of seagulls. Lapis had rested her head against Topaz's neck, and her mate responded by looping an arm around her waist.

"I never knew Earth could be so… beautiful…" Lapis whispered. Topaz chuckled softly as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Me either Lapis... but it's all the better with you here." He whispered softly. Lapis blushed as the golden gem leaned to nuzzle her neck.

The two lovers continued to enjoy the serene moment before a sudden explosion rudely interrupted them. Topaz immediately loosened his grip from Lapis's waist as he stood up and got in front of her protectively, a sphere of white energy surrounding his right fist as he prepared his geokinesis. He wasn't going to let her be harmed… no matter what.

Lapis got up as well, but stayed behind her mate, still relatively weakened from the reluctant battle they had had two days ago. Her eyes widened, as did Topaz's, as they realized the explosion's origin. The Crystal Gems were battling Jasper and Peridot on the beach in front of them, blasts of energy and powerful blows echoing through the air.

Jasper had engaged Garnet, while Peridot was desperately fighting with Pearl and Amethyst, attempting to ward them off with her Limb Enhancers and their technological weaponry. Garnet slammed her gauntlets into Jasper's helmet as the two bulky gems exchanged fierce blows, literally shaking the environment around them with the force of the collisions.

Pearl nimbly avoided the bolts of lightning Peridot shot at her, all the while firing her own energy blasts back. Amethyst attempted to entangle Peridot in her whip, but the green gem quickly avoided the whip with a little help from her helicopter fingers, before firing a blast from her arm cannon.

The Crystal Gems had spotted Jasper and Peridot first as the two made their way back from the communications hub, and decided to attack them first. They could deal with Lapis and Topaz later on. However, as Garnet charged in to deal another devastating punch to Jasper, she looked up in shock to see Topaz and Lapis Lazuli standing on top of the cliff, looking down at them with surprised expressions to say the least.

She immediately stopped her charge as she turned to the direction of the couple. "Lapis Lazuli!" The fusion gem bellowed up. Topaz's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fist, the quake-bubble growing brighter as it began vibrating at a faster rate. "You and your friend are too dangerous for planet Earth! You must be bubb-" Garnet was cut off as Jasper slammed her with a head-butt, sending her flying. As Garnet slammed into the ground, Jasper planted her feet into the ground and raised her head to stare at the two gems above.

"Well… it seems the two lovebirds have finally decided to join us." Jasper sneered as she glared up at Topaz and Lapis. "You two will pay for betraying Homeworld. I will see to that." The warrior gem growled as she continued to glare. Topaz growled as he pushed Lapis behind him, holding up his glowing fists as he stared straight at Jasper, who glared just as angrily back.

"Topaz… stop…" The golden gem heard as Lapis placed a delicate hand on his arm gently. The former bounty hunter's tense muscles slowly relaxed at his mate's touch, and the quake-bubble dissipated as he let his fists uncurl. "Lapis…" He growled as she placed her other hand on his cheek and moved his face to stare into hers. Normally nothing could stop the Golden Hunter when he was consumed in the lust of battle, but clearly his feelings for Lapis had completely changed that.

By now Garnet had recovered as well, and both teams of gems had turned their gazes onto the newcomers. Jasper and Garnet both clearly thought of Topaz and Lapis as the greater threats than the other, and decided to deal with them first before turning on each other. Wielding her gauntlets, Garnet punched the ground, causing a massive slab of rock to shoot out of the ground, before punching it towards Topaz with her gauntlets.

The golden gem merely drew a fist to his side before bringing it whirling around, shattering the rock with a quake before it could reach them. He then punched forward again, sending another powerful shockwave towards the enemy gems. Garnet merely aimed her gauntlets forward before firing them, sending the two powerful rockets towards the incoming wave.

As the two attacks collided, creating a massive explosion, Topaz quickly pulled Lapis into his arms before tensing his legs and leaping into the air. As the smoke cleared, he slammed into the ground feet first, creating a set of deep holes in the sand. He then cracked his neck as he let his mate take her place beside him.

Garnet glared up at them, the eyes behind her visor starting to gleam as she cracked her neck and prepared two new gauntlets. Topaz growled as he charged another quake-bubble, but knew that they were both outnumbered and outmatched. There was only one other way to deal with this turn of events…

He quickly turned to Lapis and held both her hands in his own, her eyes widening with surprise. As the other gems stopped to stare at them in shock, he whispered to her softly.

"Lapis, my love… the only way for us to deal with these enemies is to… fuse…"


	10. Fusion Realized

**Chapter 10: Fusion Realized**

"Topaz… you want us to fuse?" The shocked Lapis whispered softly to her mate, who continued standing protectively in front of her. "We have no other choice Lapis… the enemy both outnumbers and has the advantage in raw power as well." Topaz responded, baring his teeth in a leer at the Crystal Gems and their Homeworld counterparts. The blue gem closed her eyes as she silently analyzed the situation.

Her mate was right about one thing, and that was the enemy had the advantage in both numbers and power. What other way could the two gems get out of this unscathed, besides fusion? She slowly reopened her eyes as she took a deep sigh. She trusted Topaz, something that no other gem besides Steven had the privilege of having. He was her mate, and she loved him…

"Alright Topaz… I trust you…" She whispered, placing her hand in Topaz's as the golden gem gave her a tender look. "So be it Lapis Lazuli… let us show our enemies the true rage of a love-embodied fusion!" He roared, as he pulled Lapis into his arms gently before the two initiated the fusion dance. The Crystal Gems watched in shock as the two gems began doing an elegant series of moves, Topaz's dancing resembling military-grade discipline and stoutness, while Lapis's was reminiscent of that of graceful ballroom dancing, with her careful, yet elegant transitions into smooth movements.

"Stop them before they fuse!" Jasper bellowed as she surrounded herself in an aura of orange energy before she charged towards them in a blur of light. Garnet followed suit, charging towards the two in an attempt to break them apart with a well-aimed punch before they could fuse. It was too late, however, as Topaz threw Lapis into the air before catching her and touching his forehead to hers gently.

Lapis looked deeply into Topaz's golden eyes, and vice versa even as they felt the familiar energy of fusion surrounding them. Lapis gave a soft smile as she cupped Topaz's cheek with a hand, while the Golden Hunter returned as he tightened his grip around her waist. Just as Jasper and Garnet reached the two gems, a blinding aura of golden-blue energy enveloped them, blasting both Jasper and Garnet away as the fusion initiated.

Steven covered his eyes with an arm as the aura bathed the entire area in a shining blanket of golden and blue light, before slowly opening them again. Instantly his eyes transformed into stars as he witnessed the new fusion emerge from its cocoon of light. Peridot stopped her fight with Amethyst and Pearl as they too turned to look at the new arrival.

Even as the fusion stepped out, it stumbled and nearly fell falt onto its face before quickly regaining its balance. Instantly the other gems' eyes widened in shock as it slowly stood up. As its features slowly solidified through the cloud of light, Steven could see that it was a success, if a little clumsy, but understandable as it was their first time fusing.

… _Where am I?_

 _Lapis…_

 _Topaz? What… what happened?_

 _We're currently fused into this new form, no longer are we separate gems, but one unified form. An experience._

 _I see…_

 _We are… Rhodonite…_

The fusion had a muscular, yet still somewhat curvy body, obviously inherited from Lapis's slender build and Topaz's muscular one. It had a light orange skin tone, most likely gained from the fusion of Lapis and Topaz's respective skin colors. A long mane of half-navy blue, half-golden hair coursed down its back while it had four arms, each of them an orange color as well.

It slowly opened all four of its eyes, revealing two glowing golden pupils in the top row, while the bottom row were blue. The fusion then stomped the ground before raising its fists into the air in triumph. "Our fusion has worked! We are Rhodonite!" It bellowed. The Crystal Gems quickly took fighting stances, as did Jasper and Peridot.

Knowing Lapis' immensely strong hydrokinesis, and Topaz's combat skills as well as his incredible geokinesis, who knew how strong the duo could be together fused into one entity. The fusion slowly cocked its head from side to side as it stretched its arms, before attempting to take a step forward. However, its balance proved unwieldy again as it fell face-first into the sand.

"… HAHAHAA!" Amethyst burst into laughter at this hilarious sight, while Steven could stand there looking in both amusement and awe at the same time. Jasper simply crossed her arms and smirked, while Garnet shook her head in disappointment. It was obvious that the two were not fully synchronized, despite their love for each other.

Conflicting feelings still ran through one of them, and it was causing the fusion to be unstable. Garnet knew Rhodonite could collapse at any moment, but simply watched as the fusion quickly got its feet before beginning to concentrate its powers, causing the earth to shake as the ocean began to rumble. Despite the fusion's immense raw power, both Garnet and Jasper knew that they could overwhelm it if they used strategy and careful timing.

"GEMS! Let's finish this thing off!" Garnet roared as she and her fellow Crystal Gems charged towards the fusion. Jasper promptly followed, while Peridot stayed back determined not to be dragged into the fighting. Steven did as well, not wanting to fight his friend but also wanting to see the fusion in action.

Rhodonite began bellowing in laughter as the enemies began nearing it. "You insects think you can defeat me?" It mocked as it prepared its powers. "Haven't you heard? The bigger you are the harder you fall!" Amethyst yelled back.

"So be it! Let us decide in battle!" Rhodonite roared as the clash between the titan and the warriors began…

 **Hey guys! School and Undertale had been keeping me away from writing for a bit now, but I'm back! I hope you enjoy my portrayal of Topaz and Lapis' fusion, but feel free to give me constructive criticism as long as it isn't hate or complaining about Topaz being a "Gary-stu."**


	11. Unstable Fusion and Sacrifice

**Chapter 11: Imperfect Result**

Rhodonite bellowed as it attempted to smash Garnet, who quickly leaped out of the way before the monstrosity's blow could connect, causing it to blow a giant crater into the ground instead. The fusion growled in annoyance as Pearl and Amethyst attacked it from both sides, the purple gem whipping it over and over again with a three-tailed whip in each hand while Pearl dual-wielded opalescent spears, repeatedly firing silver blasts of energy at the enraged fusion.

Summoning its strength, the fusion drew back an arm and punched forward, cracking the air and sending a quake barreling towards Pearl. The Crystal Gem quickly leaped out of the way, causing the quake to destroy a massive rock behind her, showering the combatants with broken pieces of stone. Before Rhodonite could steady itself and deliver another round of attacks however, Garnet charged in with a powerful punch, while Jasper rocketed forward as well. The fusion staggered as the two enemy gems delivered a stunning combo attack to it.

The force of the synchronized attacks caused Rhodonite to hurtle backwards, the fusion toppling into the ocean and defusing in a burst of light. Garnet could clearly see that the fusion was not perfectly synchronized, and defusing was very normal for gems who were not compatible. As the light reformed into the shapes of Topaz and Lapis, Garnet cocked her head and slammed her gauntlets together, while Jasper simply cracked her knuckles and scowled.

Topaz coughed as he struggled to regain his posture, burying his elbows into the sand to steady himself. He was surprised that the fusion had failed so quickly. It may have been their first time fusing, but their bond as mates should have enabled the creation of a steady, focused fusion… He looked beside him to see Lapis on her knees as well, struggling to balance herself.

"Lapis… what happened?" Topaz managed to splutter, still dazed from the sudden defusing. "I'm not sure… it seems… that one of us… was not fully into it…" Lapis responded, by now having recovered her bearings and was staring in fright at the Crystal Gems and their Homeworld counterparts. Their opponents were getting ready to attack again, their weapons out and ready.

Topaz quickly attempted to generate a quake-bubble around his fist, but he was entirely drained from the failed fusion. He quickly collapsed to one knee, once again trying to recover his strength to launch a counterattack. Lapis was also too weak to concentrate her hydrokinesis, as was shown by her shallow panting.

"I knew that it would end like this." Garnet's admonishing voice spoke out. Topaz and Lapis quickly turned to face the fused gem, who had a disapproving, yet still gentle look on her face. "What do you mean Crystal Gem?" Topaz growled as he pulled out his rifle from within his gem. Garnet held up her gauntlets to prove that she meant no harm.

"Trust me. I'm a fused gem myself. I just know that unstable fusions always tend to end like that, struggling to stay fused for a few moments before completely disintegrating. I was like that when Ruby and Sapphire first fused. It was only after a couple of months when we started getting the hang of fusion. It's a sacred art, not something that can be done lightly." Garnet responded, continuing to look at the two mates.

"…" Lapis stayed silent, unable to think of a response to Garnet's philosophy. She was right about one thing though, fusion took effort, and given her feelings about Topaz… it was going to take some time before they could make Rhodonite a stable fusion. However her thoughts were cut off as Jasper slowly walked to her.

As the towering orange gem stopped in front of her, the blue gem timidly attempted to escape, but Jasper quickly caught her by the arm. "LAPIS!" Topaz bellowed, trying to race to his mate's side, but failing as he collapsed. "So… it seems that I finally got hold of you Lapis Lazuli." Jasper spat. Lapis scowled at her former superior, but made no further attempts to escape.

"I should have dealt with you back when our ship crashed… Yellow Diamond has no use for scum like you." Jasper hissed. Lapis simply scoffed in response, despite having such an iron-tight grip locked around her wrist. "At least I was created to personally serve a member of the Diamond Authority. You on the other hand are nothing more than a simple Quartz, a soldier." She responded.

"Oh! You got roasted!" Amethyst screamed with laughter after Lapis gave the scathing comeback. "Indeed. I think that Lapis Lazuli has, in Earth terms, fired her shots." Peridot added, struggling to maintain her composure as well. Jasper's face grew red with embarrassment and annoyance as she narrowed her eyes.

"You still opening that mouth? I'll teach you for talking to your superiors in that manner…" She snarled as she drew back her head for a powerful headbutt. Before she could, Garnet punched her away. Instantly Lapis was released from her grasp. Garnet helped steady her as Jasper slowly picked herself up from the hit, hatred burning in her eyes.

"Fusion… I formed a temporary alliance with you and your traitorous group… and this is how you honor our agreement?" She growled. "I have just realized that they mean no harm against us. The Topaz simply wants to be with his Lapis." Garnet responded, being sympathetic for Topaz and Lapis's situation, given the unstable fusion they had formed.

Jasper snarled, but made no further attempt to attack. She remembered who was leading here, with both the Crystal Gems and her former friend defending the former informant… "It seems that we have no other choice but to hear their story." Pearl chimed in, crossing her arms as she leaned on the hilt of her spear. Amethyst was idly twirling her whip around her fingers, while Steven quickly rushed to Lapis's side to make sure she was alright.

"Steven…" The blue gem managed to smile as the half-gem came over. "Lapis! You're not hurt too badly are you?" He shouted in panic. Topaz snarled as he tried to move to his mate's side, but was stopped by Pearl before he could. "So you are the famed Golden Hunter…" Pearl observed, studying Topaz's form with a critical eye.

The bounty hunter scowled at the former servant-class gem, but quickly turned his attention back to Steven. He still remembered when he had tried to collect the bounty on the boy's head… and Lapis had stopped him. If he could make the Earth-hating gem want to protect him… Topaz wondered what kind of strength he had…

He was amazed as the young boy stuck his finger into his mouth to collect a wad of saliva, before gently rubbing it onto his mate's arm, where Jasper had grasped so tightly before. Before his eyes, the bruises sustained from the harsh grip were instantly healed when the saliva made contact with the skin. Topaz was utterly shocked to say the very least. How did this hybrid have such wondrous healing powers? Definitely not from his doped father if he remembered correctly…

Jasper continued to glare at the sight. She hated Steven, that was for sure, but Topaz could see a change of emotion in her eyes. What was once utter hatred towards the gem-hybrid had turned into a gentler expression. Her look was one of annoyance rather than pure hatred. Jasper cocked her neck and cracked her knuckles as she coughed, interrupting the rather heartfelt moment.

"Now… back to the topic of our temporary alliance. Topaz and Lapis Lazuli, you two are under arrest. You are to come with us until Yellow Diamond sends an envoy to come collect us." The militaristic gem ordered. Topaz instantly felt all wariness leave his body at the mention of Lapis's name. Instantly quake bubbles surrounded his fists as he slowly stood up.

"I already told you Jasper… I will not let you take Lapis Lazuli from me." The bounty hunter snarled. Jasper simply scowled back as she summoned her helmet. "And who are you to stop me?" The former commander snarled as she entered a fighting stance.

Topaz roared as he cracked the air with a punch, sending an airquake directly at Jasper. The commander simply curled into a ball and rocketed forward at the incoming quake. "NO!" Steven yelled as he quickly got up from beside Lapis and ran forward.

"STEVEN!" Lapis and the Crystal Gems screamed as the gem hybrid ran straight into the collision between Topaz's quake and Jasper's charge…


	12. Heartache

Chapter 12: Heartache

"STEVEN!" Lapis and the Crystal Gems shouted as the half-gem was caught in the massive blast caused by the collision of Jasper and Topaz. As dust filled the air from the force of the collision, Lapis could barely see Steven's shield had sprung up around his body, protecting him from most of the impact but still seriously wounding him from the concussive force alone.

As the smoke cleared, the horrified onlookers (minus Peridot, of course) saw Steven standing in the midst an immense crater, smoke curling off his body as he looked down at his burned hands. His shield, although powerful, did not protect him from direct concussive force. As blood slowly started trickling down his cheek from several cuts, he turned, saw Lapis and the Gems, and managed a weak smile before collapsing.

"STEVEN!" Lapis cried as she summoned her wings and rushed towards him, desperate to reach him before Jasper could finish him off. Jasper had been thrown a hundred meters from the impact of the blow, having been overpowered by Topaz's quake. As Topaz prepared to throw another quake, Lapis quickly flew in front of Steven, blocking him from Topaz's view.

The golden gem glared at her in surprise, the glow from his fists fading as he expelled the condensed energy. His mate was in front of him, what was he to do? "Lapis… why are you in the way?" Topaz asked as he strode forward cautiously. The blue gem merely stared at him, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

"You could have killed him Topaz! What were you thinking?!" Lapis cried, unable to believe the gem she loved could have killed the very half-gem that had freed her from that accursed mirror and befriended her. "Lapis…" Topaz whispered, not used to seeing his female in so much emotion. She wiped at her eyes with her hand before turning back to Steven, picking him up and frantically trying to awake him.

As Topaz watched silently, the other Crystal Gems rushed to Steven's side as well, shouting his name and trying to revive him. He could still not understand how gems, the superior race, could be so compassionate to these… "humans". He just did not know why Rose Quartz would fall for a human…

By now Jasper had shaken off the dizziness from the collision, and glared at the gems clustered around Steven, a bellow bursting from her throat as she did so. "He's mine!" she roared as she lunged forth again, but Garnet stepped forward, a snarl appearing on her face as she summoned her gauntlets. As Jasper charged, Garnet leaped forward as well to stop him, but Lapis's voice echoed throughout the air.

"STOP!" Instantly the fused gem and her opponent stopped their charges at the sudden loudness of the normally timid Lapis's voice, having surprised them. Topaz simply continued watching, his mind drifting to the bounty Yellow Diamond had placed on Steven's head… Despite Lapis's obvious loyalty towards him, Topaz was more than ready to collect the bounty on his head.

"Lapis… Why are you defending this… thing so passionately? He is nothing more than an object to be crushed…" Topaz said, but immediately regretted it as Lapis turned her enraged glare on him, tears continuing to stream down her eyes at her mate's cruel words. "Topaz… HOW COULD YOU!" She screamed, shocking both the bounty hunter as well as the other gems.

"He released me from that accursed mirror… He is the kindest, most generous gem I have ever met… and you say that he is nothing more than a simple collection of money? I thought you changed your ways Topaz! I thought you truly loved me!" Lapis cried, unable to believe him.

"Lapis…" Topaz tried to say, but Lapis cut him off with a furious shake of her head. "NO! I don't want to listen to your lies any longer… I had enough Topaz… I thought wrong…" The blue gem said before she turned and flew off with Steven in her arms, the other Crystal Gems following. Garnet stayed behind for a brief moment and shook her head sadly at Topaz.

"Gems that don't change their ways… can never fuse correctly…" The red gem sighed before she took off with her allies. Topaz slowly lowered his fists, all traces of fury and anger gone from his mind as realization slowly set in.

He had driven the gem he loved off with his words.

He had hurt her again.

He collapsed to his knees, unable to comprehend the heartache he was currently feeling, an emotion that was unheard of in his type of gem. Jasper merely looked on in grim amusement at her former friend. "I knew this would happen. This is precisely why I go lone wolf. Finding a companion would only result in heartache."

Topaz did not respond, being in too much shock from the sudden leaving of his precious Lapis to answer. "So much for your precious love. Now, do you want to return with us back to Homeworld?" The orange gem asked.

Topaz closed his eyes, a decision evident in his mind. "Yes…" He responded in a monotone voice. "I knew you would come to your senses soon…" Jasper grinned with approval.

As she, Peridot, and Topaz left, the yellow gem cast one last look at the beach house, where his Lapis was…

"I will always love you Lapis…"


End file.
